Palate for artificial teeth



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LORENZO SIMONDS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PALATE FOR ARTIFICIAL TEETH.

Specification of Letters Patent N o. 11,682, dated September 12, 1854.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, LORENZO SIMONDS, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Palates, and that the following description, taken in connected with the accompanying drawings hereinafter referred to, forms afull and exact specification of the same, wherein I have set forth the nature and principles of my said improvements by which my invention may be distinguished from others of a similar class, together with such parts as I claim and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent.

The figures of the accompanying plate of drawings represent my improvements.

Figure l, isla view of the upper side of my improved artificial palate, on that side which comes in contact with the roof of the mouth. Fig. 2 is a view of the underside of the same. Fig. 3, is a cent-ral vertical section. Fig. 4 is a similar section showing the parts in a different position.

Considerable difHculty has been experienced in making an artificial palate adhere closely, and rigidly to the roof of the mouth; as it is held in its position in the mouth solely by atmospheric pressure, and consequently has to be constructed with the greatest nicety, in order to exclude the air.

from between the plate of which the palate is made, and the roof of the mouth.

The object of my invention, is to so construct an artificial plate, as to more effectually exhaust the air from between it, and the roof of the mouth; whereby, it will be retained in its position under a much greater pressure, than by the mode of construction heretofore employed. I effect this result, by constructing in the metal plate of which the palate is made, a small air chamber as it may be termed, formed of a flexible elastic diaphragm of rubber, metal or other suitable material, attached or soldered to, a projecting rim on the under surface of the artificial palate. The elastic diaphragm while the palate is being adjusted to the mouth, is pressed up or in, and when the palate is fitted, is made to spring back into its original position, thereby exhausting all the air between the palate and the roof of the mouth, into the air chamber. In this manner, the artificial palate will be made to adhere so closely to the rooi:` of the mout-h; as to be displaced from its position only by the application of great force.

a a in the drawings represents an artificial palate, constructed so as to t the mouth in the usual manner. To the under face of the same, is soldered a rim b b attached to, or forming a part of, an elastic metallic diaphragm c. This diaphragm should be made of such `material as to be durable and retain its elasticity. Rubber may be used if desired, and when made of metal, it should be composed of platinum and gold. While the plate a a is being adjusted tothe roof of the mouth, the diaphragm is pressed up by the hand as shown in Fig. 4, and when the artificial palate, is fitted and the pressure on the diaphragm removed, it springs back into the position shown in Fig. 8, being aided by a bent spring d. The diaphragm in springing back, .will necessarily exhaust the air from between the artificial palate and the roof of the mouth; the air thus eX- hausted being received in the air chamber formed by the rim Z) b, and diaphragm c, thereby causing the artificial palate to adhere under a great pressure, to theroof of the mouth.

Having thus described my improvements, I shall state my claims as follows.

What I claim as my invention and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent is,

Attaching to an artificial palate, or to any plate to be secured in the mouth, an air chamber constructed with a flexible elastic diaphragm, for more effectually exhausting the air between the artificial palate, and the roof of the mouth, as herein above set forth.

L. SIMONDS.

Witnesses z JOSEPH GAVETT, F. R. LINCOLN. 

